AuthorTopic: A-X the Universe - who sang backup? (Read 3485 times)

There's one version where two people sang backup, like a million "ah"s, after each time "... nothing's going to change my world" is sung.

I always thought it was George and Paul at their flipping best, it sounded so darn hard to sing, and and was sung so darn well!

Then ... I read somewhere that they just picked two girls off the street to come in and do it. I'd never think that would be true (doesn't sound like something they would do for such a prominent part), but it sounded sort of semi-authoritative when I read it.

You that is so funny because I was just thinking that to myself today. I always would skip this song but when I came to it today I listened (and decided I kinda do like it) and I thought, that does not sound like George and Paul...No way!!

I want to know!!! Sounds like a choir or something!

This is from Wikipedia (which we all know can't always be trusted but....)

Whilst the basic track was successfully recorded on February 4th, Lennon wasn't satisfied with the feel of the track. Several innovations were tried, including blowing through comb onto paper and humming to add texture to the track, and the addition of a pedal guitar and tambora. In the end, according to Lennon, McCartney persuaded John to call in the services of Lizzie Bravo and Gayleen Pease, two of the so-called Apple scruffs (the female fans who collected outside the studio) to add harmony vocals. Lennon later cited this as evidence of McCartney's "ubconscious sabotage" of Lennon's compositions, saying Paul would have used professional session singers if it was McCartney's own work.[citation needed]

So maybe they did pick some girls off the street! Shoot....wish it had been me!! Although I can't sing to save my soul & I had yet to be born

Wow!! It blows me away, because those harmonies are so exquisite, beautiful, and ... hard! I mean, was it just random that these two apple scruffs could sing really well? Did they have a secret version of Melodyne back then? Did it take them a billion takes to enough good ones to put on the record?

No matter how it turned out, they sure are beautiful harmonies. I wonder if John wrote them alone, or it was a group effort ...

P.S. Hmmm ... two girls named Bravo and Pease ... sounds fishy to me

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I love John,I love Paul,And George and Ringo,I love them all!

Alexis

BlueMeanie

Wow!! It blows me away, because those harmonies are so exquisite, beautiful, and ... hard! I mean, was it just random that these two apple scruffs could sing really well? Did they have a secret version of Melodyne back then? Did it take them a billion takes to enough good ones to put on the record?

Just a few takes apparently. It was a Sunday evening, so getting a couple of session singers would have been impossible, so Paul went outside and grabbed a couple of Apple Scruffs off the street. Here's a picture of John with Lizzie Bravo:

And here's an article written by Steve Marinucci from the 'Abbeyrd' website, including an interview with her.

The Beatles' original version of "Across the Universe" owes a considerable debt to two Beatle fans, Lizzie Bravo and Gayleen Pease, for their contributions of background vocals. (That

I think there's some confusion here: Yes, Paul did pick two random Apple Scruffs off the street to sing backup. However, there are multiple versions of Across The Universe: Four have been released officially, all of which were different, if I am correct: Nothing's Gonna Change Our World (appears on Past Masters Volume II), Let It Be, Anthology 2, and Let It Be... Naked. Let me pick this apart, version by version:

NGCOW: Full speed, bird sounds, wah-wah guitar, no added reverb. Also, this version features background parts, which I believe were recorded on different takes. The first is the Apple Scruffs, who sing "Nothing's gonna change my world" along with John, who are noticeably shrill and unpleasant, hence John's displeasure at Paul's bringing them in. Then, there's the nine-note "aaaaaaaaaah" after each "NGCMW", which appears to me to be Paul and George singing falsetto. The last is the repeated "Jai guru deva"s at the end, which is only one person. I'm not entirely sure who this is. It has a sort of shrillness to it like the Scruffs, but in terms of pitch it sounds like a man's falsetto.

LIB: This version is slowed down, both to change the pitch and to make it the same length as the earlier version that was filled out with bird sounds. It is heavily reverbed and Wall-Of-Sounded, with a string section and a professional choir, presumably brought in by Phil Spector. This is neither the Apple Scruffs nor Paul and George, but is indeed a choir as has been suggested by HeatherBoo. The three sets of backing vocals are not present on this version.

Anthology 2: Take 2 of the song, featuring no backing vocals whatsoever. Much more simply arranged than any of the other versions.

LIB...N: Full speed, no string section, choir, or backing vocals. An echoey reverb is added to the final "Jai guru deva"s, which you'd think would go against the whole point of making a Naked version of the album, but that's what they did.

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So, the version in question here is indeed the Past Masters Volume II version of the song, in case that was not clear to anyone.

As for who did what backing vocals, I've explained my view of who sang what. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

Lennon later cited this as evidence of McCartney's "ubconscious sabotage" of Lennon's compositions, saying Paul would have used professional session singers if it was McCartney's own work.[citation needed]

I mean that John always regarded it as a bad recording of a good song.

I really dislike the sped up Wildlife version, sounds way too rushed and Chipmunky.

I think he should have insisted on a better recording! He had the power and the personality. He either got lethargic because of his drug use or wanted it that way. It could have been lushed up and easily been a style contemporay of Norweigian Wood, Day in the Life or Strawberry Fields!

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